Copper's ordeal: second horse rescued from icy pond

See a photo gallery of the rescue.

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For the second time within a week, emergency crews were called Thursday to rescue a horse from a partially-frozen farm pond.

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Copper was discovered in the pond on property belonging to Tommy and Tewaan Tucker off Anthony Road northeast of Shelbyville about 3:45 p.m., Tommy Tucker said.

The horse was in the middle of the pond with water up to her chin. Copper appeared calm,

"She had been in the pond less than 24 hours," Tucker said. "I checked the pond last night and again today (Thursday)."

Copper was described by Tucker as a "7-year-old spotted walking horse. She's a brood mare."

Bedford County Fire Department personnel began breaking up the ice on the north side of the pond with fire axes while the horse, standing in water estimated by rescuers as 5 to 7 feet deep, occasionally grunted and shifted her position slightly.

Deputy Kevin Holton of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department lassoed the horse with a rope after several tries. Rescuers moved the rope to the west, then south sides of the pond as Cliff Metcalf and Josh Carlock of BCFD attempted to break the ice. Copper moved slightly toward her rescuers.

Bedford County Tech Team members arrived with a boat but chose to follow on foot the path Metcalf and Carlock had started. Todd Carter and Rodney Schmiede broke up more ice with axes as they neared the horse.

Initially Tech Team members feared Copper's back legs had become stuck in the pond's muddy bottom but she was able to free herself.

Copper began neighing, backing away and bucking slightly as Carter and Schmiede neared her, appearing to fear the axes' chops.

The Tech team members stopped chopping and gently pulled and led Copper to safety, although she neighed loudly and reared her front legs high in the air shortly before reaching shore.

The horse appeared to be shaken as she stepped onto land but was quickly calmed by the Tuckers and rescue workers.

Copper was led to her barn where, under a warm blanket, she gulped down feed while being combed and groomed by Tewaan Tucker.

Temperatures fell into the low 20s Thursday morning but had reached the low 40s while rescuers were at work in the afternoon. Conditions were much better than last Friday's rescue at a Naron Road pond, when the temperature was 11 degrees as snow fell.

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